Street Survival Tactics

In previous columns around this time of year, I’ve cautioned you about shopping alone, walking to your vehicle with arms full of gifts and other tips to not look like an easy target. As our society rapidly changes, so do the sophistication of the threats. With so many people opting to shop online there are many opportunities for scams and attempts to steal your personal information including banking details. You also see an increase in dirt bags stopping by your home to steal the packages being delivered by Amazon and other online companies. You may want to consider an alternate delivery address, like a retired family member that is home most of the day, or even your office to

Rick “Pirate Hunter” Grover

help with this problem.

The scams that come direct to you on your phone and email are scripted and practiced by actors to prey on the elderly, and others to simply rip you off. We are at the point in time when we can’t automatically trust people like back in the day when many of us baby boomers grew up. We must always be on guard, even when we’re home in what we consider our ‘safe environment’. We’ve talked a lot about Situational Awareness on these pages, but it’s no longer when you’re away from home or at work, or traveling, you must be prepared and protected while at home from threats on your computer, and other technologies like Alexa ! Does it bother you that this technology is always listening to what’s happening in your home ? We have invaders in our home that have hacked baby monitors and laptop cameras to see what you’re doing. Never leave your laptop open when not in use, or at least block the camera. New cell phone technology is advancing these threats and further eroding our personal security. Even something as simple as taking pictures with your phone and posting it on social media can give away info you don’t want released. Sometime ago I explained how to turn off the Geo-Tagging feature on your phone and smart camera’s which could be a real threat to your security, because it can give away the location you took each picture and that can be dangerous.

Please use common sense and ‘Spidey Sense’, if it feels wrong it probably is a threat.

Rick ‘Pirate Hunter’ Grover strongly believes we’re all in this together, and the more we learn and train, the better we’ll be prepared for any eventuality. This makes all of us part of an amazing neighborhood team of American Patriots. God Bless America ! ♦

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